The invention relates to a box erector for erecting boxes from a knock-down condition.
Heretofore, box erector apparatus have been proposed for setting up folded carton or box planks, closing their bottom flaps, and sealing the bottom flaps so that the box may be loaded. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,579,551; 4,348,853; and Re27,631. Pat. No. Re27,631 discloses a box erector which utilizes suction for grasping portions of the knock-down carton during erection, and various actuators for closing the end and side flaps. While apparatus have been previously proposed for automatically erecting boxes, they have not been entirely suitable, particularly, as an adjoining operation to an existing product line whereby boxes can be erected and fed to a feeding system for filling of the boxes with packaged products and the like. In addition, the prior box erectors have been relatively complicated in construction, and have required a large amount of floor space. This has made them particularly unsuitable for utilization in existing floor space as an adjunct to an existing product line for erecting the boxes to be filled at the product line in conjunction with the manufacturing of products.
Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a box erector having a small footprint which can be utilized without modification with an existing product feeding system.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compact box erector which is simple, yet reliable, and can be utilized as an adjunct to an existing product feeding system for boxing of the product.
Another object of the invention is to provide a box erector which may be utilized to erect different size boxes without complicated alteration of the erector.
Another object of the invention is to provide a box erector which erects boxes taken from an inventory of boxes stacked in a knock-down condition in a simple and reliable manner.